Marauders' Era Drabbles
by annaquinnskywalker
Summary: Just short one shots I think of, starring our favourite group of mischief makers.
1. Not Much

These guys aren't mine. I just spend my days abusing them... Also big shout out to Aubrey Lowe! She convinced me to take my drabbles from Tumblr and put them here.. Annnd, she kind of reminded me I had a fanfiction account. College has been rough, but I'm done forever! So expect a bit more frequent updates!

**Not Much.**

_The guys come over to see Remus' new flat._

"It's nice mate, really." Sirius had to raise his voice to be heard over the sounds of arguments, babies crying, and an elderly squib with a chronic cough. The walls were thin, and besides the noise, let the cold in too.

Remus had very little. A couch. A bookcase filled with worn books with cracked spines and torn pages. A moth-eaten rug across the floor. He has a fire going, so at least it didn't feel as cold as it looked. Sirius and James stepped through the door and stood awkwardly on the moth-eaten rug as Remus moved to the kitchen to get drinks.

"Is tea alright? I haven't had much time for shopping." A kettle crashed and the others heard Remus swear to himself. Then more rustling around, opening cupboards just to close them again. James looked to Sirius.

"This is- Merlin's beard. He deserves more than this," James whispered as his arm swept across the tiny living room. Sirius could only nod. They startled when Remus walked back in with three mugs.

"I…I know it's not much. But, I mean, I can pay for it. The rent's cheap, and the landlady's a muggle, so she doesn't even know things like me exist. I didn't have to tell her anything." He smiled, but it was empty. He looked down and set the mugs on the table. "Sit down, sit down." He motioned to the couch and moved to sit at the fireplace. "You know, I heard what you said, James." James cringed and cursed himself for forgetting the few perks of lycanthropy. "And I know it's bad. But what else am I supposed to do? Live with you guys? I can't be a dependent my whole life, I won't be. I'll find a proper job, and live in _my _proper flat, and be just like you guys. _That's what I deserve._" He finished with an odd smile on his face.

"But what about the full moon? You're miles from any forest, and I doubt your landlady will understand why you need an enforced shed once a month." Sirius tried to reason with him, trying to balance guilting him into seeing reason and just reminding him of his limitations.

"I-I know that, Sirius. I'll figure it out. I've got plenty of time. Worse comes to worse, I can charm my flat to be impenetrable and muffliato it, and I'll be fine." Sirius sighed and Remus' gaze dropped to the floor. He started wringing the sleeve of his sweater.

"…Remus. You know that won't work. What if something goes wrong?There are kid's here! I know you, you-"

"I what? I'll kill them? I'm a monster? I know, Sirius, that's why I'm living here and not down the street from you guys! Look. I know what you're trying to do, and I'm not going to be guilted out of this flat. You lot have done so much for me already, and I...I can't- We're not in school anymore. This is the big bad world they trained us to live in, isn't it?" He sounded almost bitter. James looked at Remus.

"Come on, mate. Just stay for a week. You can look for a job, Lily's been missing you so she'd love to have you-"

"..You wouldn't freeze to death.." Sirius added as he started to shiver. James nodded in agreement.

Remus looked at them, then around his flat. His eyes turned sad. "I just wanted…" A loud crash echoed through the walls, and a baby screamed and started crying louder and harder than before. "Sure, fine." He was always easily swayed by those two. The wind picked up and whistled through a small crack in the window. "Thanks, James." He sounded tired, as though the weight of accepting help, _again, _was hurting him.


	2. Those Mornings

Those mornings were many things. They were cold. They were hard. They were a relief; the boys were back and, thank the gods, they were alive. The mornings following the full moon were hectic, and this one was no different. The night before, Marlene had apparated after Sirius to the Potter's house, demanding answers she was already fairly certain she knew.

Sirius apparated in first. He had an almost frantic look in his eyes. "Sorry I'm late, lads. I got caught up talking to Marlene. I think she knows. And I'm pretty sure she's-" He was cut off by the sharp pop and apparation.

"Sirius Black! You utter _prat! _Oh, hello, Lily, James. Did you paint the walls? It's lovely. Oh right. Is Remus alright? Is he resting- Oh sod off, Black. That's what I was trying to tell you. I _know._ And I don't care. He's my mate, too. Why can't I worry about him?" She stood silently for a moment, calming herself, and letting the others understand.

"Marlene, you really don't mind? Merlin's beard that's good news. Listen, I'm sure you have many questions-" The door opened quietly and Dorcas stepped out with a very pale, very shaky Remus. The others all looked at the pair and while Dorcas was shocked to see her best friend suddenly in the house, Remus had not noticed. His eyes were closed and he looked to be either in immense pain or concentrating immensely. Perhaps both. "-but we really must be going. Lily and Dorcas will be here all night, and they'll explain what they can." Sirius moved to take hold of Remus' arm opposite James, and gave Dorcas a small smile. "We'll be back in the morning."

"Wait, but..But Sirius why-"

"I said we'd be back in the morning." With that, three boys made their way out the door and tried to ignore the quick increase in Remus' breathing, or the ferocity of his shivers.

As the night raged on, Lily, Marlene, and Dorcas spent the night asking and answering question after question. They were tired, but far too worried to sleep. Around 4:45, Lily got to her feet. "I need to get everything together. Marlene, clear the couch off and pull the side table closer." Lily had grabbed an extensive first aid kit and set it on the table. "I should have just enough time to brew a pain potion. It's better fresh, you know." She made her way to the kitchen and the sound of crashing cauldrons, slamming cabinet doors, and harsh cursing resounded around the living room. Dorcas reappeared with blankets stacked high on her arms. "They'll need these, I suppose. It _was _cold last night. Come on, Marlene. Let's go wait for them." She took her coat from the rack and opened the door to let in the beginnings of a sunrise and a rush of cold air. And there they waited.

"There they are," Dorcas said with a hint of sad resignation, pointing her finger toward the forest.

"So Sirius and James-" Marlene started.

"Yeah."

"And Remus really is a-"

"Yup." The two girls shook their heads and watched as Remus, Sirius, and James limped out of the forest at the edge of the Potter's property, Remus leaning heavily on the two other boys.

"Doe! Marlene! Get inside and help me finish up in here!" Lily looked frantic and was holding a steaming pot and a large spoon. "I've got breakfast burning in the kitchen! Oh bullocks!" She quickly turned to tend to breakfast.

They lingered to wait for the boys. When they arrived at the top of the hill on the edge of the property, Marlene and Dorcas rushed to meet them. Marlene looked over James and Sirius, checking for bites and scratches, while Dorcas cupped Remus' face and pressed her forehead lightly to his, whispering softly. A smile almost crept onto his face, but was quickly replaced with a grimace when he shivered harder.

"Ladies," Sirius coughed, "As nice as this is, it's bloody cold, and our shining star here has no clothes. Could we possibly move this indoors?"

James chuckled then noticed smoke billowing out his kitchen window. "Jesus, is my house on fire?!" He quickly but gently passed Remus off to Dorcas and jogged to the door. The rest slowly followed.

_This is the life,_ Marlene thought bitterly.


	3. Meeting the Order

The headquarters of the newly formed Order of the Phoenix was buzzing with activity. Molly Weasley, ever the humble host, was preparing dinner, while Dorcas Meadowes and Mary MacDonald sat on an old worn out sofa in the parlor, enjoying the comfortable chaos of a night in for once. At the head of the long, wooden table sat Albus Dumbledore, and with him sat the nervous new recruits: Lily Evans, who held the shaking hand of an otherwise stoic James Potter. Next to him sat Sirius Black, who was lost to the world as he played with the hem of his shirt. Next came Peter Pettigrew, whose confidence was shattered at seeing the usually so animated James and Sirius now silent and still. Finally, there was Remus Lupin, looking most comfortable of the group. He always had the best control.

They sat in silence for thirty minutes or more, waiting for the other members to make their way inside. Finally, when it seemed the house could hold no more, Dumbledore stood.

"My dear friends, if you could find a seat, I'd like to make this meeting brief. Molly has been working very hard on dinner, and I'm sure you're all ready to eat." He motioned to the wooden chairs around the table. He gave them time to settle before he continued. "As I'm sure you've already noticed, there are a few new faces here tonight. I have called this meeting to introduce them to you, and so they could share a bit about themselves." At that he caught Remus' eye, and for the first time, Remus squirmed in his seat. There were nearly thirty people stuffed into the house, all of them watching patiently.

"First, let me introduce to you: Lily Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin. If you five could say a short piece about yourselves, we can wrap up this meeting and enjoy the rest of our evening." Dumbledore smiled encouragingly and motioned for Lily to begin.

She stood, took a deep breath and said, "Hello, as Professor Dumbledore said, my name is Lily Evans. I'm freshly graduated from Hogwarts, and I'd like to think my specialty is in charms. I'm a muggleborn, and I decided to join the Order so I could fight for my parents, and for others like me." She blushed as everyone clapped, and took her seat. Almost immediately, James shot from his chair.

"Merlin, I'm nervous. Don't think I've ever been this nervous before in my life. Not even before my first quidditch match. Anyway, I'm James Potter. I graduated with the lot of them, and I want to fight Voldemort because I think it's time someone stood up for those that can't stand for themselves. If we don't, who will?" He looked around the room as the others applauded him, and he smiled, sitting down. Sirius was still playing with the hem of his shirt when James elbowed him and nodded to the crowd. "You're up, mate."

As he stood, he could hear the murmur of those around him. "A Black? In the Order?" they whispered. Sirius held up his hand to silence them and began, saying, "Yes, my name is Sirius Black. But I'll have you know I'm a Black only by name. I haven't seen or spoken to any of them since before my sixth year. Except of course for Andi; bless her, got blasted off the family tree before even I could manage it. I want to show my family that they're wrong. That none of them are any better than anyone else, regardless of bloodline." With that, he sat.

Peter stood, quaking. "I-I'm Peter. I want to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for my mother. And for my friends." Peter smiled shyly as he sat, and next to him, Remus rose from his seat.

"My name is Remus Lupin. I graduated top of my class in Defense, and I plan to use what I have learned these past seven years to fight against this so called "Dark Lord." Thank you for having us, I hope none of us let you down." He moved to sit, when Dumbledore suddenly spoke.

"Remus..." he started. He looked at Remus, who suddenly looked as though he would vomit.

"Sir, please. I-I can't." Everyone in the room had stopped talking amongst themselves, and were now watching Remus and Dumbledore. Lily sat, holding her breath while James and Sirius looked down. Peter couldn't tear his eyes off of Remus.

"Very well, my boy. If you cannot tell them, then I must. My dear friends, I ask that you hear me without judgement, and your view of our newest member does not change, for what I am about to tell you is of the utmost importance and must not leave this room. Remus Lupin is a werewolf."

Silence was all that he was met with. Remus sat red faced as all eyes turned to him. His ears rang. All at once, everyone found their voice.

"Really Albus of all the stupid things you could've done-"

"I'll not stand for this. I won't. I'm sorry but I can't fight dark creatures if you expect me side with one-"

"Just what're you getting at-"

Remus stood and left the room. Sirius and James stood as one, but James put a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Best stay in here, mate. Try to smooth things out." James turned to follow Remus out the back door into the yard. He could here Sirius shouting over all of them, "Alright you lot, listen here-"

James found Remus sitting at the edge of the garden, head propped on his knees. His shoulders shook as he tried and failed to suppress the sobbing. "Remus? Mate, I don't know what to say. You warned us about the world that you'd have to face, but I do t think any of us believed you. Not really." He sat next to Remus and slung his arm over his shoulders, holding him close. "Sirius is giving them a right hard time, you know. Probably has them all straightened out."

"James, please shut up. I know what you're trying to do, I just... I just don't get it. I've spent my whole life toeing the line, trying to be as far from the rest of them as I could. Merlin, half of the people in there already knew me. They went to school with me, and what? They throw everything they knew about me to the wind, all because I'm not fucking human."

"Rem-"

"I said, shut it. You guys always argue that fact, but in the end, it doesn't matter what you say. It doesn't stop the ministry from labeling us as beasts, it doesn't stop those kinds of reactions, and it sure as hell didn't stop them from fucking branding me with a silver rod." He angrily rolled up his sleeve, revealing the line of numbers: W06548. "That's all I fucking am to them, James. A number. That's all I'll ever be." James waited for him to continue, but he was met with shaking shoulders and ragged breaths as Remus started sobbing all over again. James was, for once, at a loss for words. They sat for what seemed like hours, when finally James spoke.

"You know what Remus? Fuck 'em. Fuck every last one of them. They don't know you, and if they think they can get away with what they've already done to you, well, then they sure as hell don't know your friends." He held Remus closer as silent tears fell from his face.


	4. The First Time

Normally, the home of James and Lily Potter was lively, loud, and felt like home to anyone who entered. Usually, after supper, Lily would do the dishes by hand while the boys cleared the table and retired to the living room. She enjoyed doing chores the muggle way; she said it gave her time to think.

Tonight however, was different. After a quiet supper, they left the leftover food and dishes on the table, and moved to the living room as one. The room was silent, and all eyes were on one man: Remus Lupin.

"How're you feeling mate?" James asked suddenly. Remus paled before taking a deep breath and saying, "Never better. I'm ready for a round of quidditch if you are." He tried to smile, but it fell flat. He hated being the center of attention like this, but it couldn't be helped. Not tonight, anyway. Lily stood and walked into the kitchen once more, returning with a smoking goblet, which she handed to Remus.

"Drink up, Rem." They all watched as he downed the contents of the goblet, and held their breath as he looked to be about to vomit. He once again smiled feebly at them, and they could breath again.

"That shit...is bloody awful." Remus shuddered. He didn't stop shaking though. He couldn't. He just. He just felt so cold. Lily seemed to understand as she appeared beside him with a blanket. "T-thanks, Lily. I should...I should go. If this doesn't work, get Lily out of here. I don't...I don't care if you have to hurt me. Just-"

"We know mate. And we will. Besides, we know your tricks." Sirius smirked, and all at once, the room seemed lighter. "So, we all know the plan? Peter and I will stay out here with Lily and act as security detail," he puffed out his chest at this, "while James goes with Remus and sits around doing nothing." He finished quickly and with an air of boredom.

James was about to retort, when suddenly, Remus stood with a pained expression on his face. "I-I think it's time. We should-" but he didn't get the chance to finish. He fell to the ground as his legs gave out from under him. "Bloody fucking moon." He mumbled as James and Sirius got to either side of him and lifted him from the ground.

"Ah, Moons, don't be like that." Sirius smiled as they sat him on the hard mattress of the guest room. He turned to walk out the door, saying, "See you in an hour, mate. Good luck." With one last sad look to the pair on the bed, he closed the door.

-Remus and James-

It started with tremors. Always with tremors that grew and worsened until he was seizing. He tried to keep quiet, as he always did, but when that first bone snapped, he couldn't hold in the shriek that forced its way out. James was there in an instant, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Remus' shaking hand in his own. Silent tears fell from James' face as he watched and listened as his friend was torn apart from the inside. It always took roughly an hour. An hour of bones breaking, tendons snapping, and the sounds of absolute agony.

Remus began to beg for the first time. "James! James, something's wrong. It-I can't...PLEASE just make it stop! PLEASE." He sobbed as another bone broke. James was at a loss. Remus always screamed, I mean, who wouldn't, but never had he begged. Then he realized: the potion. Either something was terribly wrong, and they could very well lose their friend tonight, or everything was going as it should. James cursed to himself, but it made sense. A little extra pain in exchange for a human mind. He tightened his grip on Remus' hand. "Just hold on, mate. Just-Just hold on. I'm here Remus, we're all here. No one's leaving you to face this alone. I swear to Merlin, Remus, you'll be okay. Just hold on."

-Peter, Sirius, and Lily-

"So, what exactly happens?" Lily had never been present for a transformation before, and now that Remus was gone, she felt she could ask her less than tactful questions. "Is it like when you all transform?" Sirius looked at her with sad, tired eyes.

"It couldn't be further from what happens when we change. For us, it takes a minute, maybe less. It feels uncomfortable, sure, but more like when you drink too much firewhisky. Then it's over. It's still us inside." He sighed, shared a look with Peter, and then continued. "But for Remus...Merlins beard. For Remus, it takes roughly an hour. An hour of bones snapping, joints popping in and out of place, it's- it's hell and then some. His whole anatomy is forcibly changing, and there's nothing he can do to stop it. I should warn you, it's about to get very loud in here." James had insisted that they leave off the muffliato when they fortified the guest room, saying that if something did go wrong, he wanted to be able to tell them. Lily had looked a bit confused, but agreed.

"Sirius, why is it going to get lo-" She got her answer when Remus let out his first scream. "Oh. Oh my god." She paled when he didn't stop screaming. Peter and Sirius moved to sit on either side of her, and together, they sat in silence until it was over.

An hour passed, and suddenly the door opened, revealing a red eyed, but smiling, James Potter. "It worked." He breathed. "It bloody worked! I could kiss that Damocles!" He glanced back into the room. "Do you guys want to meet Moony?" Sirius stood, saying, "Merlin's beard, yes!" He laughed. The other two stood to stand behind him. Lily and Peter both were shaking. Sure, this was Remus, but this was also a fully grown werewolf. They had all heard the stories. It wasn't their fault that James and Sirius were reckless.

James opened the door wider and walked further into the room. Behind him, with his snout to the ground and tail tucked, came Remus. He was much bigger than Lily had expected, but also much thinner. You could see the prominent ribs expand and shrink as he took deep breaths. Lily gasped when she saw him, and began to approach him slowly. Remus lay low to the ground: an act of submission. "Oh, Remus." She began to cry as she held him and ran her hands through the coarse fur. "Oh, Remus."


End file.
